TPROF(4)

📦 version 11.0, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 TPROF(4) — a sampling based profiler ✨

okay so real talk, this is a kernel interfaces manual page, section 4, and the vibe is profiling 🎀

🌸 NAME 🌸

tprof — a sampling based profiler 🦋

like, it samples stuff. that's the whole personality. it's giving "i watch your kernel and take notes." 👑

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

pseudo-device tprof

that's it. one line. iconic. you just declare the pseudo-device and you're in. 💅

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

okay so the tprof driver is the kernel-side bestie that provides kernel services necessary for tprof(8) — you know, the actual userland profiler 🌈. think of this driver as the backstage crew and tprof(8) as the main character on stage ✨.

specifically — and this is the important part, don't skip it — it makes its backend driver collect profiling samples and provide them to the userland consumer 🫶. so like: backend driver = the one doing the actual collecting, userland consumer = the one getting fed. the tprof driver is literally the middleman and honestly? slay. 💅

no cap, the API/ABI is currently undocumented and will likely change in future without keeping compatibility 😭. so like, don't get too attached to any calling conventions, bestie, they're not gonna be loyal to you 💀.

on x86, the tprof_x86 module must be loaded in addition to the tprof driver 🧚. both. not one. both. the way that x86 needs its own extra module is so on brand tbh. 💜

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

  • tprof(8) — the userland bestie this whole thing exists for 💖

👑 AUTHORS 👑

the tprof driver was written by YAMAMOTO Takashi 🌟. king behavior, honestly. we stan. 🫶

💀 BUGS 💀

there is no way to configure multiple backend drivers statically 😭.

that's it. that's the bug. one backend only, configured statically. if you wanted a whole squad of backends? nope, not a thing, sorry bestie 🌸.

and that's the whole page!! tysm for reading my little kernel rant 🎀 i'm literally obsessed with sampling profilers now, which is such a glow-up for me. stay profiled out there, bestie 💅✨🦋

this little beauty is from the Debian fam, dated December 12, 2018 — so like, it's vintage, but it's still serving ⭐

📦 where this page comes from